Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Camden White Gum- Endangered

cc Camden White Gum (Wikimedia)

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One of Camden's little known hidden gems is a tree commonly known as the Camden White Gum. This gum tree is named after our local area. It is found along the Nepean River floodplain in the Camden area, as well Bents Basin and the Kedumba Valley in the Blue Mountains. It grows in numbers in these restricted locations but not elsewhere.EndangeredThe species of tree is declared as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Governments endangered species and the NSW threatened species. HistoryThe flooding of the Burragorang Valley by Warragamba Dam in the 1950s destroyed many trees of the species. CharacteristicsSome individual trees live for over 150 years. Germination of new trees is triggered by floods on the Nepean River which leave a suitable silt deposit for germination of new seedlings. ThreatsThese include tree clearing for farming and urban development, increased nutrients in the Nepean River from sewage and runoff, intense bushfires which kill existing trees and weed competition. Read moreNational Arboretum in Canberra Click here
NSW National Parks Click here

About Author

Dr Ian Willis is a public historian with a special interest in local studies. He is currently an Honorary Fellow at the University of Wollongong, member of the Professional Historians' Association (NSW), member of the Australian Historical Association, contributor to the Dictionary of Sydney and member of the Camden Historical Society.